Automatic metering apparatus



Dec. 3l, 1957 D. c. MEYERs 2,817,967

AUTOMATIC METERING APPARATUS Filed April 28, 1955 INVENTORI D.C. MEYERS BY: www

. Hls AGE FlGuRE I Chainsaw-matera only 9813 nited States Patent i 2gsm-,957

. AUTOMATIC `PPA'I'tATUS Douglas c.. Meyers, lnafbbs, Mex., assignofr to shell Development Company, New York, `-N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application April '28, @sistem-N. '504,643 claim toms-m4) metering of crudeioil is*` complicated 'by the: fact that differentbatches` off crudefoillor contents of differenttanks will almost always yvary intemperature. and fwill often contain differentfpercentages 'of water'and/Or'rbasic sediments.`

l Previously, the amount ofoiltbeing produced .by awell -t or delivered tov a'reriery couldtbe metered by 'gauging-the airi'ount` of: oil run into. a-storage tank, taking thetempcrature of the oilat1 the timev of the measurement, andobtaining'ay representative sample'fonr the tankat the Sametime, frornwhich the basic-sediments and water content ofthe oil could beiI determined .by laboratoryv analysis. zK-nowiiig the volume, temperature,- 'and watcrfandA sedimentucontent of the' oil, the amountdftleanioilrnder.standardconditions could .be calculated.

fIni recent Jtim'es automatic2temperature,recorders have been fuse'dtandv-various 'typ'es fof instruments" have been developedfor 'determiningfand*recording theiwater content Aorwater-evitireeerder-s thatrareusedrat present are' offrire 'capacitance typef^a1id Ivr'neasu're rczliaiges yn^tlie Adielectric aanstaat if the :crude :'oi'1"'-"nd watervmxturein: stanki to While the necessity of running laboratory analyses to `derermi-rre tuewatercbrrrntl ofthe dit has been" overcome provide-fan apparatus-"fr automucaIig/emetering 'batches provider anr-apparatustforv automatically meteringequalincrernentsvor-g batches o-the-A duid, vsuch aspu're crude i oil, under.standardstemperature conditions, regard-less ofthe :ehangesn temperature-whichmay taketp'lac'e duringrthe meteringopertionl'and regardless: of the amountfof con'- f tamin'atingt materialsg-"suoh asrb'asiclI sediments and water',

mfa r tent' is zero.

of `the' vliquid level controllers .is v100' 'G 2' `FIX-10694) or`99barr'els',-if 35 F. is thrhvimiiiuriiantrci- 2,8 l. 7,967 Patented Dec. 31:, 11957 ice 'which may' "be jp're's'et iii sans .or fait .idf Vthe :metered ilcleht'sff il. p y Y, Y

"These il'd other objectso'f this inventionwill bezunderstodi'om 'the lfollowing de'sciptiontaken withreference teure urawigyvherein'; l ,y Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view incross-section otr-the present automatic metering apparatus together with ,the

.necessary control elements.

,Figure `2 iis-a view of a portion of themetering apparatus f'Figure `1 provided with electrically/.operatedscontro] elements. t y y N Referring to Figure 1 of the drawing, `the automatic metering apparatus of the presentinvention-comprises@ storage tank l11 having inletand outlet ports, @'12 yand l13, respectively, through which oil may enter or be drained from theftankll. The-owof 'a liquid such as oil, ito

.and out of th'elftanl: 11 is controlled by inlet yand youtlet valves I14and15, respectively, which arepoWer-'opert'ed valves ofany suitable type well known to ithe-art,'said valvesbeing actuated mechanically; pneumatically; hydraulically, electrically, etc.

` Y Thetank` 11 is provided with upper,- intermediates'and lower liquid level-indicating control mean's ofvanyisuitblc ftypewellrlnown to the art, for examplegloat switchesl, ,-17 and y18.y Theoat'switches 17 andfl ofthe inter'- kmediate Y:andlower liquid level controlfrneas arcfoperatively connected to valves 22and :14, respectively; while oat switch 16k of the-upper'liquid level co'trolfmelisfis loperatively conneetedxto valv'esf14; '15..arid 22; Thef'siz'e of the metering storgetank llaisslected'so thatitlf'e actualvolume of fluid co'ntainediny said tankl'l'l'betwe'n .the upper liquid level controller 1 16 :and f the wwer #liquid level controlla-'18 is exactly equal to the desired corrected volume of uid to be metered by the takl'lduriiig'gch filling and emptyingcycle of the tank when the temperature of the fluid is at. a minimiir'rit'o' bfiicouterd arid the percenty impurities, for example, when the vila-terA coti- FO 'eXa'mp1e, if it-S defied l'n'lfrj'li'y barrels'per cycle'o'f o'il 'crre'ctd'for Bas' 'ments and wat-errcori-tentand referred to' a star'iddte'fiiperatiie correction'factor'.

Positioned adjacent the' n'ifefi'g" .aangetaste r1,v aan 4 is tion with the lower end of tank 11 throughl a connecting cnd'riift'ZI provided with' a control valid;' '22iorco lvrolling th-*How of fluid `betweenthe tanks. "The'tops'o th'two tanks' 11" 4and .20 are preferablyin communication' through i Ildf l191; hOWeVeh, if desiredy both tlks l'fe vented t'o the atmosphere: The c'mpenstingjawd'l fanki 'zo is or' af-siz'e Such' that its] maximin-ra smudge" is t least e'qlual toI the diierenceV between),the actual-volume .of the'metering tank 11 between theflots l't'fand lttaiijd t the desired corrected'volume of liquid w'hicl'iifsr` to beha't- .died at maximum temperature' conditions; plus the maid*- mum percentage of water to be encountered in' he oil Ibeings-metered. Thus, where the'A nax'imurnE pr isible basic sediments and water content in 'oil-being'v metleredffor delivery to `a refinery is,'for example, 1%,fthenanddtional* 1% of the corrected volume-wouldibeadded tthc increased; percentage,: say 21% needed; for l-temperature compensation.v For. eXample,'rwhereit is'desirdto meter 100-barrels ofI clean oil at theistandard temperature" of 0 60 the'actuai-cdrrecfedvoiumefof-,iiquiawhe meas"- uredfat' 835 t F., Wouldf bei 1*'00 X IZOOOplus F. M0004!) or 101 barrels, plus 1% of 100 or 1 barrel to compensate for 1% of the water present, the total adding up to 102 barrels. Therefore, the compensating auxiliary tank 20 would have to have a displacement volume of 102 minus 99, or 3 barrels. In this example, the volume temperature correction factor oil, is assumed to be 0.0004 per degree Fahrenheit so that the total maximum compensation volume is 3%, of which 2% is due to temperature variation, and 1% due to water content.

To determine the temperature of the liquid in the metering storage tank 11, the tank 11 is provided with a conventional ternperature controller 23 of any suitable well known type having a probe 24 extending into the tank. For example, the temperature controller may be a Mason- Neilan Regulator Company, Norwood, Mass. (1955 Catalog No. 208, page temperature recorder Model 63110 with proportional adjustment for 0-100 F. range. Since the control range in the example used, is from 35 to 85 F., the control point of the instrument Would be set at 35 F. and the proportional band set at 50% to give an output air signal by the instrument from 0-10 p. s. i. at 35 to 85 temperature change, if the controls of the automatic metering apparatus are pneumatically operated with a p. s. i. air supply delivered to each of the instruments, as will appear hereinbelow.

In the event that the water is present in the crude oil being metered in the storage tank 11, the tank 11 is provided with a water-indicating device of any suitable well known type, the water indicator 25 having a probe 26 extending down into the tank 11. The water-indicating device may be a resonance bridge null-balance system (such as a Foxboro Capacity Dynalog with a Model 40 pneumatic controller), although an electrical controller may be employed where an electrical control system for the metering tank is being used. A pneumatic controller 25a incorporated with the water-indicating device 25 converts the output signal from the indicating device 25 to a pneumatic signal before transmitting it further.

The signals transmitted by the temperature controller 23 and the water-indicating device 25 are combined by suitable means, such as a device which for ease of illustration in the description of the present invention, is called a computer 30. When the present automatic metering apparatus is operating on pneumatic signals, these signals may be combined by a suitable pneumatic computing relay such, for example, as a Nullmatic relay Model 68-1 manufactured by Moore Products Company, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Bulletin 681). The computing relay is adapted to receive two or three loading pressures or signals and uses a pneumatic force-balance system to transmit a single modilied pressure signal. Depnding upon the assembling and the method of connection to the computer, the signal transmitted to the computer may be added, subtracted, amplified, multiplied, divided, etc.

Thus, in the present system with the temperature controller 23 is adjusted to transmit pressures of from 0 to 10 p. s. i. over a range of from to 85 F., and the waterindicating device 25 adjusted to transmit pressures of from 0 to 5 p. s. i. over a range of 1% water content in the oil, the actual signals coming over lines 31 and 32 from the water cut indicator 25 and the temperature controller 23 are applied to the computer 30 additively. If, on the other hand, the water-indicating device 25 was set to produce a negative signal, for example, a signal of from 5 to 0 p. s. i. over a change in water content of from 0 to 1%, the computer 30 would be set to measure the differential pressure between the two signals transmitted by the temperature recorder 23 and the water cut indicator 25. Any other well known type of ditferentialpressure transmitter might be used in place of the computer 30 for measuring differential pressure.

The liquid level ow controller 34 is of a conventional type, for example, as Model 62122-2 controller manufactured by Mason-Neilan Regulator Company, Norwood,

Mass. (Catalog No. 208, page 10, 1955), adapted to control the valve 22 by signal transmitted through line 35 so that the valve is opened to admit a predetermined amount of fluid into the auxiliary tank 20 or to fill said tank to a predetermined level. The liquid level controller 34 is adapted to sense the liquid level 36 in the auxiliary tank 20 by bubbling air down a tubing 37 to measure the hydrostatic head of uid in the tank 20. The amount of lluid to be admitted to the tank 20 is preset by the signal received by the liquid level controller 34 from the computer 30.

If the present metering apparatus is to be operated by electrical controls, a temperature controller 23 and a water cut indicator 25 having electrical output signals (Fig. 2) can be employed instead of the ones previously described hereinabove as having pneumatic output sig,-v nals. The two electrical signals from the temperature indicator 23 and the water cut indicator 25 are there combined in an electrical computer 30a of any suitable type. For example, the computer 30a may comprise an adding circuit similar to those used in electrical analog computers adapted to operate on D. C. input signals, such for example as an adding component manufactured by Philbrick Researches, Inc., Boston, Mass. (Catalog No. KS-A, 1956).

The signal from the electrical computer 30a (Fig. 2) is transmitted to an electrically operating liquid level Controller 34a adapted to control the valve 22 between the storage tank 11 and the auxiliary tank 20. The uid level in the auxiliary tank 20 may be determined electrically in any suitable manner as by use of an electrical pressure transducer 38, for example, of the strain gauge type, transmitting a signal to the combined valve controller and liquid level controller 34a which is proportional to the volume of liquid admitted to the auxiliary tank 20. The controller 34a may be, for example, a Rotax electric controller manufactured by the Foxboro Company, Foxboro, Mass. (Bulletin 427-1, page 18, 1956). The control valve 22 is arranged to open when the voltage of the signals received by the liquid level controller 34a from the adding computer 30a and the electrical pressure transducer 38 are not equal. Instead of employing an electrical pressure transducer 38 to measure the liquid level in the auxiliary tank 20, other electrical liquid level indicating devices, for example, of the capacitance type may be employed. A pneumatic pressure transducer similar to the electrical pressure transducer 38 may likewise be employed in the system illustrated in Figure l rather than the liquid level indicating device using tube 37 for bubbling air through the column of uid in the auxiliary tank 20.

In using the present automatic metering apparatus for metering crude oil in oil field installations, it may also be necessary to compensate for substantial changes in the specific gravity of the oil metered. Normally, such compensation is not necessary as any error due to changes in specific gravity are very small with the present system. For example, if the auxiliary tank 20 contains only 3% of the volume of the storage tank 11, a variation of 10 API in the gravity of the oil would result in a maximum error of only 0.015% of the total volume measured. This error may be reduced, if desired, by employing a gravity responsive transmitter 40, which may be either of the pressure transducer or the differential pressure measuring type, whose output signal is connected to the computer 30 to compensate for changes in the gravity of the liquid. The transmitter 40 may be, for example, an Anubis Model RES-P gravitometer manufactured by American Recording Chart Company, Los Angeles, Calif. (Bulletin No. lll-R3, page 6, 1956).

In the operation of the present automatic metering apparatus, the auxiliary tank 20 is empty when the storage tank 11 is being lled by oil pumped through the inlet valve 14. Valve 22 in the line connecting the storage tank 11 to the auxiliary tank 20 is closed until the fluid level in the tank rises above the probes 24 and 26 and aspirates? onstaan the intermediate liquid :level naar S17, eetwaren `itnnethe tripping of a switehicontroliled f'by'foa't 17 Earises `#the valveizz toppen. 'Withttte ipr'obe 24 of the'temp'e'raiturec'ontrolter 23 and -ttiefprobe 26 .'ofitti'e water-eut indisignals which farle combinedby ^`the eomputerfr'elay 30and 'then transmitted yto the :tluidcleveliindictor 34`whic'h 1con- "-t-rols the liquidflevel in the `:auxiliary"ft'a'nk 220.

To control the liquid level and, Si-n iturfn, the volume 'of lluid contained"intlreiauniliary Etank 520, the open tube -or pipe 3:7 nis positioned in the-tank t20 iso `that its lowerend is'at the lower level A'to be=controlled. zA-ismall volumelof rgas isffmade lto yflow lthe top "of :the ftub'e land'out 'the bottom thereof, and the back :pressureiexerted against the ibottom of 'the tube `by ythe `hydrost'atic "head'of `fluid -is reected in the-gaszpressurenecessary to cause the gasto `bubble-out the-bottotniof the tube'37. This gas ,pressure fis connected to 'the high pressure fside l"of :the -nid rlevel -controller 34. The vapor pressure fin the t"op fof vfthe vauxiliary ltank -20 visfconn'ected y'to 'the llow :pressure side of `thecon'troller y34, whereby the v.pressure diterenti'alis made afunction of Vthe 4'hydrostatic head of fluid in the auxiliary'tank lThe liquid llevel'in the tank 20fis-con trolled by the signals received from the computer l3l), which in turn is-controlled =by the variations in tempera- Vture -and the water content of the fluid being vfrneteredfin the storage tank l11. The output signal from the :fluid flevelindicator 34 controls the action of th'e valve iinthe Ivalve -22 in the line 21 between itheimet'eringtank ffliand -the auxiliaryvtank 20.

`If -the liquid :level ycontroller -34 is of the ftype -that operatesfrom,lsay, 3 to l5t p. s. yi.,-thec"omputer Sti-may be set to transmit a constant pressure -of -3 p. s. i. when no temperature or water cut correction is needed. Thus, when the `cor'np'ensating volume "of liquid to be run into the auxiliarytank 20 is zero, lthe signal ffijom the computer 30 is-3 p. s. i. which is equivalent to lzero on-the liquid llevel indicator 34 and the valve -22 would remain closed. W-hen a maximum compensating volume oflluid m'ust be run into -t'he auxiliary tank 20, the signal from the computer is p. s. i. and the valve 22 would remain open until the correct volume of fluid had been run into the tank at which time the valve 22 closes. Any intermediate volume required in the tank 20 causes the level of liquid therein to be controlled so that the correct amount of lluid is always run into the auxiliary tank 20.

After the correct level of lluid has been established in the auxiliary tank 20, the level of iluid in the metering storage tank 11 continues to rise until it contacts the upper float switch 16 and actuates the inlet valve 14 which is closed while the outlet valve 15 and the valve 22 in the line 21 between the auxiliary tank in the metering storage tank 11 are opened, whereupon the fluid from both tanks is run out to suitable storage tanks (not shown). As soon as the liquid level in the storage tank 11 falls below the lower iloat switch 18, valves 15 and 22 close while the inlet valve 14 opens, whereupon the storage tank 17 llls again to repeat the cycle. To count the number of batches and hence the amount of lluid metered by the present apparatus, a counter 41 may be provided which is connected to any suitable element of the apparatus, as to the outlet valve 15 thereof, to count the number of times the valve opens, and hence the number of times the storage tank 11is emptied and filled.

During one cycle of the metering tank the operation of valve 22 is as follows. When the liquid level in the storage tank falls below float 18, the valve 22 is changed from an open to a `closed position. Until the liquid level in the storage tank reaches the intermediate float 17, valve 22 remains closed. When the liquid level in the tank reaches tloat 17, the control of the valve 22 is shifted to controller 34 or 34a but the valve does not open unless the controller has received a signal from the computer or 30a which indicates that liquid should be admitted to the auxiliary tank 20, in which event the valve 22 is Lit() 6 opened #until :tire acquired aiuta :revel as fontaine-d :in ftank E0,whepnlvalvenfisclosed. "When thetluid levelin une storage 'tank :reaches the upper oat 16, :control offtlhe fvailve 'fzziis talcen from thecontroller and the valt/e122 is opened aand iremains `open kuntil the liquid `level ysin Ithe f'storage stank-y ialls ibelow tloat1118.

f1 'elaimfasamy invention:

.1.. Apparatus .for fautoma'tically 'metering out equal volumes Yof ta iliquid, fsaid '-volumes being corrected to a standard ltemperature 'and standard content 'of icontami- `nating Smaterials, fsaid 'apparatus comprising a liquid -storage :tank having iirilet =and outlet port '.means, =rst and :second mower-'actuated valveim'eans in lsaid linlet and outflet port means :respective-ly, an auxiliary tank adjacent 4said storage ftank, *conduit rmeans in 'communication Abetween said auxilary I-and storage tanks near the bottoms @of s`aid tanks, thirdpoWer-actuated 4valve means in said conduit means, temperature sensing lan'd indicating lmeans responsive Atto temperatures in i the interiorof said `storage itank ito produce a -signal proportional thereto, water sensingfand indicating means responsive to the water conitentofea'non-aqueous liquid in said storage tank toproaduce a signal proportional thereto, computer means for combining ithe signals of said "temperature and said ywater sensing Yand indicatin'g means rand .producing a signal `proportional to said combined signals,iir'st liquid levelfcontroller means -for lsaid storage tank including .sensing (means located labove Vsaid temperaturev and water `sensing and indicating means, said controller means being arranged to energize said third lpower-actuated valve `means in `the conduit-rneans-between saidtanks, upper and lower liquid level responsive means for Isaid storage tank arranged 4to open vand to close v.consecutively `said rst and second power-actuated valve means thereby alternately filling and emptying said storage tank, and liquid level rcont-roller means including liquidvlevel sensing means in said auxiliarytank, said last'controller means being con- `nested to-said computer means and third valve means to closesaid lthird valve `means when the fluid level -in the auxiliary tank rises to a level proportional to the signal received from the computer means.

2. Apparatus for automatically metering out equal volumes of a liquid, said volumes being corrected to a standard temperature and standard content of contaminating materials, said apparatus comprising a liquid storage tank having inlet and outlet port means, lirst and sec ond power-actuated valve means in said inlet and outlet port means respectively, an auxiliary tank adjacent said storage tank, conduit means in communication between said auxiliary and storage tanks near the bottoms of said tanks, third power-actuated valve means in said conduit means, temperature sensing and indicating means responsive to temperatures in the interior of said storage tank to produce an electric signal proportional thereto, water sensing and indicating means responsive to the water content of a non-aqueous liquid in said storage tank to produce an electric signal proportional thereto, computer means for combining the signals of said temperature and said water sensing and indicating means and producing an electric signal proportional to said combined signals, first liquid level controller means for said storage tank including sensing means located above said temperature and water sensing and indicating means, said controller means being arranged to open said third power-actuated valve means in the conduit means between said tanks, upper and lower liquid level responsive means for said storage tank arranged to open and to close consecutively said rst and second power-actuated valve means thereby alternately filling and emptying said storage tank, and liquid level controller means including liquid level sensing means in said auxiliary tank, said last controller means being connected to said computer means and third valve means to close said third valve means when the tluid level in the auxiliary tank rises to a level proportional to the signal received from the computer means.

3. Apparatus for automatically metering out equal volumes of a liquid, said volumes being corrected to a standard temperature and standard content of contaminating materials, said apparatus comprising a liquid storage tank having inlet and outlet port means, rst and second power-actuated valve means in said inlet and outlet port means respectively, an auxiliary tank adjacent said storage tank, conduit means in communication between said auxiliary and storage tanks near the bottoms of said tanks, third power-actuated valve means in said conduit means, temperature sensing and indicating means responsive to temperaturesin the interior of said storage tank adapted to produce ay pneumatic signal proportional thereto, water sensing and indicating means responsive to the Water content of a non-aqueous liquid in said storage tank to produce a pneumatic signal proportional thereto, computer means for combining the signals of said temperature and said water sensing and indicating means and producing a pneumatic signal proportional to said combined signals, first liquid level controller means for said storage tank including sensing means located above said temperature and water sensing and indicating means, said controller means being arranged to open said third poweractuated valve means in the conduit means between said tanks, upper and lower liquid level responsive means for said storage tank arranged to open and to close consecutively said iirst and second power-actuated valve means thereby alternately filling and emptying said storage tank, and liquid level controller means including liquid level sensing means in said auxiliary tank, said last controller means being connected to said computer means and third valve means to close said third valve means when the fluid level in the auxiliary tank rises to a level proportional to the signal received from the computer means.

4. Apparatus for automatically metering out equal volurnes of a liquid, said volumes being corrected to a standard temperature and standard content of contaminating materials, said apparatus comprising a liquid storage tank having inlet and outlet port means, tirst and second power-actuated valve means in said inlet and outlet port means respectively, an auxiliary tank adjacent ,said storage tank, conduit means in communication between said auxiliary and storage tanks near the bottoms of said tanks, third power-actuated valve means in said conduit means, temperature sensing and indicating means responsive to temperatures in the interior of said storage tank adapted to produce a signal proportional thereto, water vsensing and indicating means responsive to the water content of a non-aqueous liquid in said storage tank to produce a signal proportional thereto, computer means for combining the signalsof said temperature and said water sensing and indicating means and producing a signal proportional to said combined signals, iirst liquid level controller means for said storage tank including sensing means located above said temperature and water sensing and indicating means, said controller means being arranged to energize said third power-actuated valve means in the conduit means between said tanks, an open conduit in communication between the tanks near the upper end thereof, upper and lower liquid level responsive means for said storage tank arranged to open said first power-actuated valve means thereby filling said storage tank and to close said rst valve means while opening said second and third Valve means to empty said storage and auxiliary tanks, and liquid level controller means including liquid level sensing means in said auxiliary tank, said last controller means being connected to said computer means and third valve means to close said third valve means when the fluid level in the auxiliary tank rises to a level proportional to the signal received from the computer means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,158,381 Raymond May 16, 1939 2,505,905 McAfee May 2, 1950 2,633,750 Langstat Apr. 7. 1953 

